Proposal due dates
Proposals are solicited for Yale observing time on the telescopes to which Yale has access. Unless otherwise stated, full proposals are due at 17:00:00 Eastern time.
The 2026A proposal deadline is September 12, 5PM
Keck I: 1.5D + 2.5G + 2.0L = 6 nights
Keck II: 1.5D + 2.0G + 2.5L = 6 nights
Palomar P200: TBD
SPECIAL NOTES AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR 2026A:
Please read carefully, especially regarding instrument hibernations
KPF and KPF-CC: The 26A coversheet will contain both the KPF and KPF-CC instrument options. The KPF Community Cadence (KPF-CC) program is operating a queue observation service in 2026A, which is an opt-in program. For PIs who wish to opt in, they must select the KPF-CC instrument on their coversheet. Additionally, PIs must submit all proposed observational requests to the queue prior to their TAC’s proposal deadline. Failure to do both of these steps may result in your program’s exclusion from the queue, even if time is awarded.
Programs seeking multi-hour long observations of single targets on a single night (such as but not limited to Rossiter-McLaughlin observations, atmospheric studies in-transit, asteroseismology measurements, etc), should NOT opt in and should select the KPF instrument on the coversheet.
Much more detail on the KPF-CC program, how/why to opt-in, and how to submit requests can be found at this link, please read carefully: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-TfR6lNEtHO3muw_2Sc7l9Klveb3yovMUu28Jeq21t0/edit?usp=sharing
Keck I AO: NGS and LGS with OSIRIS will be available for the full semester. KAPA commissioning is expected to be completed at the end of the semester, and LGS proposals may benefit from KAPA performance improvements.
Keck II AO: Keck II AO (Nirc2) will be unavailable from February 1- May 17 for installation of both a new deformable mirror (HAKA) and new instrument SCALES. Starting 18 May, HAKA + NIRC2 will be available in NGS mode with guide stars brighter than R=12, and in LGSAO mode with no restrictions.
SCALES: SCALES is scheduled to arrive at the Observatory in early 2026 and undergo commissioning after HAKA commissioning. It will not be offered for science in 26a, however if institutions want to assign Director’s time in July for use with SCALES if commissioning is complete, they may choose to do so. For more information on SCALES, see https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.10721
DEIMOS: Deimos will be unavailable from late May until the end of the semester for the installation of a new science detector. Please see https://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/inst/deimos/detector_issues.html for the latest on the current DEIMOS detector’s performance status.
NIRSPEC: NIRSPEC will be unavailable for 5 weeks beginning May 6th for routine service.
NIRES: Due to both the extended 26a AO downtime and science losses resulting from the Keck II shutter failure in 25a/b, NIRES will remain available from February 1 – May 17. NIRES will be hibernated after May 17.
NIRSPAO and KPIC: Nirspao and KPIC are no longer available for use and have been removed from the coversheet.
ZWFS & CRED2 and ORKID: These technology demonstrators are available for use after May 17, when Keck II AO returns to service. PIs who wish to use these should consult with the Keck AO team before proposing and PIs should select NIRC2-NGS on their coversheet, with a clear description of what mode they will be using in their coversheet summary.
Instrument Hibernations: WMKO, in consultation with the Science Steering Committee after the receipt of the findings of the Instrument Suite Evolution task force (comprised of members of the WMKO community and WMKO science staff), is undergoing a process of hibernation and eventual decommissioning of instruments in the coming years as new capabilities arrive and to be responsive to pressures on WMKO resources. A hibernated instrument is not available for community use unless there is a significant emergent scientific and strategic need. After a year’s hibernation, the hibernated instrument will be completely removed from service and decommissioned. The community should begin planning for the following:
- NIRES: NIRES will be hibernated after May 17, 2026.
- ESI: ESI will be hibernated at the end of the 2026A semester. ESI will continue to be scheduled in campaign mode to limit the number of reconfigs through each semester.
- HIRES: HIRES will be hibernated after the conclusion of 2026B in order to provide Keck I Nasmyth location for future instrumentation, including the instrument ZShooter (PIs Kulkarni & Kasliwal, CIT) which will notionally arrive in 2029. A comparison of HIRES and KPF capabilities can be found here (https://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/inst/kpf/KPFvsHIRES/). As per instrument evolution process, starting now and up to the start of the 27A semester, WMKO is soliciting feedback from the community regarding the HIRES planned hibernation. Please provide feedback through Keck Science Steering Committee members or address them to instrument_retirement@keck.hawaii.edu
- Additional instruments are under consideration for hibernation and eventual decommissioning in later semesters, with a focus on those instruments whose capabilities are being significantly superseded by new instrumentation.
Twilight Cadence Observing: In 2026A, institutions will continue to be able to allocate one twilight observing program per telescope, for a total of up to two programs. On Keck I, OSIRIS-NGS (imager only) will be available, and on Keck II, NIRC2-NGS will be available. Please note that due to ongoing AO upgrades, there will be times in the semester when AO is unavailable for cadence observations. Cadence program PIs are responsible for development of instrument scripts, providing documentation, and training of staff needed to make the cadence program a turnkey operation.
Click here for information about Yale’s facilities.
Proposal forms and submission (Yale astronomers only)
- Please see our internal Forms & Policies page for pre-proposal and proposal forms.
Additional telescope-specific instructions for proposal submission:
- Keck: Fill out a Keck cover sheet on the Keck observer login page and attach a PDF copy of it to your proposal before submission to the Yale TAC.
- Palomar: Fill out the P200 cover sheet on the Palomar website and and attach a PDF copy of it to your proposal before submission to the Yale TAC.
Completed PDF proposals and cover sheets / confirmations (where applicable) should be sent to Robyn Lisone (at yale . edu) before the deadline (as above).
Submitted proposals are posted on a password protected website for TAC review.